Virginia enhances public safety efforts with Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign
Richmond, Virginia – Governor Glenn Youngkin, joined by law enforcement, medical professionals, and EMS responders, launched the 2024 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign earlier this week. This initiative, now in its 23rd year, is a comprehensive effort to combat impaired driving in Virginia through heightened enforcement and public education. The campaign’s increased enforcement period runs from August 14, 2024, through the Labor Day holiday, with a strong focus on preventing the dangers associated with drinking and driving.
Sobering Statistics Highlight the Need for Action
In 2023, Virginia experienced 6,979 alcohol-related crashes, resulting in 293 fatalities and 4,400 injuries. Alarmingly, the number of fatalities increased by nearly 7% compared to 2022. These figures underscore the critical importance of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which aims to prevent such tragedies through both enforcement and education.
“Virginia’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is a multi-faceted effort to prevent and stop impaired driving in the Commonwealth via both stepped-up law enforcement to identify and apprehend impaired drivers and, in tandem, a public education campaign aimed at preventing impaired driving before it begins,” said Governor Youngkin.
Law Enforcement Mobilized Across the State
A total of 130 Virginia law enforcement agencies will participate in the campaign, conducting 610 saturation patrols and 95 sobriety checkpoints across the state. These efforts are designed to identify and apprehend impaired drivers, keeping Virginia’s roads safer during the busy holiday period.
“Drunk driving is a gamble with lives, where the stakes are too high and the consequences unforgiving,” said Gerald Lackey, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. This year’s campaign will highlight the significant costs of drunk driving, aiming to make the financial impact a powerful deterrent.
Research-Informed Public Awareness Effort
The campaign’s public education component is supported by new research from Dynata, which surveyed 256 Virginia drivers aged 21 to 35, a demographic most likely to drive after drinking. The findings revealed that while 92% of these drivers understand the importance of planning for a safe ride home, only 54% consistently make such plans. This gap between awareness and action is a key focus of the campaign’s messaging.
Since the campaign’s inception in 2002, there has been significant progress in reducing drunk driving in Virginia. Alcohol-related crashes have decreased by 38%, fatalities by 18%, and injuries by nearly half.
Medical and Law Enforcement Support
Medical professionals, like Dr. Michel Aboutanos of VCU Medical Center’s Level I Trauma Center, emphasize the preventable nature of impaired driving fatalities and injuries. “Every impaired driving fatality, injury, crash, and arrest is 100-percent preventable. It is crucial that everyone does their part in discouraging and preventing impaired driving,” said Dr. Aboutanos.
Operation CARE and Enhanced Public Messaging
Virginia State Police will also participate in Operation CARE (Crash Awareness Reduction Effort) during the Labor Day weekend, focusing on reducing crashes, fatalities, and injuries related to impaired driving. The enforcement will be complemented by the campaign’s newly enhanced public awareness initiative, “What’s the Damage?” which aims to remind Virginians of the costs of drunk driving. This message will be disseminated through digital media, TV, and radio spots across the state.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is supported by a grant from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), emphasizing the state’s commitment to preventing impaired driving and ensuring the safety of all road users.
